Nathan Devermann

Meet Nathan Devermann! An Oconomowoc resident, Nathan will be married to Wendy for ten years in May, and they have a cat named Ruxin. Nathan enjoys traveling and is active with several community groups. A blood donor since age 16, Nathan gives blood every eight weeks.

Nathan is an officer at Dousman Masonic Lodge, Director of the Animal Unit at Tripoli Shrine Center in Milwaukee and former President of Waukesha Shrine Club. He has been employed by a Lake Country area healthcare system for 16 years as a food service assistant. Blood donation is close to Nathan’s heart, and we’d like to thank him for talking with us about his Lake Country life and why it is crucial to donate blood at this time.

Q. What inspires you to donate blood?
“I think it’s nice to give back to the community. As a child, I had good role models in my parents and grandparents. Also, I’m a Freemason and Officer at the Dousman Masonic Lodge and part of our mission is to give to the community. I’ve been donating blood since I was in high school and old enough according to blood center guidelines to do so.”

Q. What has been your experience while donating?
A. “Donating blood is pretty easy and there’s no pain. I feel joy that someone in need will receive it, and it’s my way of paying it forward.”

Q. What would you tell people who are considering donating blood?
A. “Don’t be afraid to do it. There’s a desperate need for blood due to the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as the time of year with natural disasters.”

Q. How long does it take to donate blood?
A. “It varies, but for most people it takes about ten minutes. My donation takes 20 minutes because I give a double red cell donation.”

Q. What inspired you or led you to your current career?
A. “My dad is a family doctor and I wanted to work in healthcare to give back to the community.”

Q. Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Lake Country?
A. “Henry Pynakker, my good friend and mentor at the Dousman Masonic Lodge. He is 80 years old.”

Q. Even for friends or family, what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A. “I am a sixth generation American, and I like heavy metal music.”

Blood centers are taking extra precautions to keep donors safe during their appointments, such as temperature checks, wiping down equipment and spacing donors apart. Blood donation efforts are exempt from restrictions on social gatherings because they are considered part of disaster relief.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood with the Red Cross, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. To schedule an appointment with the Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin, visit Versiti.org or call 1-877-BE-A-HERO.

The Faces of Lake Country is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured, please click the button below

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